The well-known Adidas brand will be worn by Chinese teams and athletes during the 2008 Olympics, it was announced yesterday.

Under the official partnership agreement between the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) and Adidas-Salomon AG, the latter will also supply all of the sportswear for staff, volunteers and technical officials.

The agreement, signed at the National Olympic Sports Centre and witnessed by more than 250 guests and media, also includes sportswear for the Beijing Paralympic Games.

In addition, the German-based manufacturer will outfit China's competitors at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.

"The company has always paid enthusiastic attention and given active support to the development of sport in China," said Wang Wei, BOCOG executive vice-president.

"In the context of the rapid growth and continuous expansion of the Chinese sporting market, we believe the sponsorship by Adidas of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will allow for an even greater contribution to the Olympic movement and to sport in China," Wang added.

Adidas had a high profile at the Athens games, with athletes wearing their shoes or apparel winning 147 gold, 128 silver and 148 bronze medals, the company's website claimed.

Yesterday, Sandrine Zerbib, head of Adidas in China, said they will "develop and launch exciting marketing and promotions campaigns that compliment the Olympic spirit and values."

So far, the BOCOG has seven official partners.

Yuan Bin, vice director of the BOCOG's marketing department, said the selection of more partners would move forward within the next couple of months.

Meanwhile, BOCOG executive vice president Jiang Xiaoyu said yesterday his committee will start to recruit volunteers from all over the world before June this year.

Jiang said the 2008 event will need 80,000 to 100,000 volunteers.

(China Daily January 25, 2005)